Loading machine



F. cARTLI-DGE 2,045,008

LOADING MACHINE Original Fil-ed Jan. G, `1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 23, 1936., F. CARTLIDGE LOADING MACHINE original Filed Jan. 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1936 PATENT CFFICE LOADING MACHINE Frank Cartlidge, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application January 6, 1934, Serial No. 705,486 Renewed November 23, 1935 sclaims. (01.198-8) This invention relates to improvements in loading machines of the type adapted to load coal at the working face of a mine and more particularly to the gathering head for initially picking up the loose material and loading it on a night conveyor for discharge on a mine car or the like.

More specically the present invention is designed as an improvement in the form of gathering head to be employed with the form of loading machines disclosed in prior applications, bearing Serial No. 472,701, led August 2, 1930, and Serial No. 580,755, filed December 14,-1931, and the main elements of the loading machine disclosed herein are similar to those disclosed in the latter application.

My invention may be more clearly understood `by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improved form of gathering head;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view showing details of the gathering head to which my present invention is particularly directed;

Figure 3 is a detail section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2, but drawn to a larger scale than the latter figure;

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1, but drawn to the same scale as Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing the frame portion of the gathering head from the front, with the gathering arms, gathering chains and flight conveyor removed therefrom.

Referring now in particular to the details shown in the drawings, the main elements of the loading machine disclosed therein, with the exception of the gathering head, are essentially the same as the loading machines shown in my prior applications, Serials No. 472,701 and No. 580,755, previously referred to, and such main elements will be described only in a general way herein as illustrative of one form of loading machine to which my improved form of gathering or loading head may be applied. In the form shown, the loading machine consists of a wheeled truck or main frame I0 having a horizontally and vertically `swingable loading element II mounted at the front end thereof, and a discharge conveyor I2 extending from beneath the rear end of said loading element and upwardly and rearwardly therefrom overhanging the rear end of the main frame for discharging material; as, for instance, into mine cars.

The gathering and loading element II may, as usual, comprise a `conveyor frame I4 supported tervals.

between upright trunnions I5, for pivotal movement on a transverse axis disposed adjacent the rearward end thereof. The trunnions I5 are in turn pivotally supported on the main frame I 0 for swinging the conveyor frame I4 about a vertical axis and positioning the gathering and loading element II at varying positions relative to the front end of the main frame. The means for pivotally swinging the trunnions I5 on the frame, and for pivotally swinging the conveyor frame on said trunnions are not herein shown or described, since they form no part of my present invention and are fully disclosed in my aforesaid applications.

The inclined conveyor frame I4 as herein Shown preferably comprises a rearward conveyor section I6 and a forward gathering section Il connected thereto in a suitable manner, which forward section has a widened apron I8 formed integral therewith and extending forwardly in an inclined plane for engaging the ground. l

The forward and rearward sections I1 and `IE5 of the frame I4 are provided with a material conveyor, herein comprising a central portion or pan 8 forming a surface for moving material therealong. The moving part of the conveyor consists of a pair of parallel spaced chains 20 having material engaging cross members or flights ZI carried therebetween at suitable in- 'Ihe chains are trained around sprockets 22 adjacent the rear end of the conveyor frame on a transversely extending drive shaft 23 coaxial with the axis of pivotal connection of the frame I4 with the trunnions I5. The shaft 23 is suitably driven; as, for instance, by a chain drive indicated generally by reference character 24 in a manner similar to that previously disclosed in my hereinbefore mentioned applications.

The conveyor chains 20 extend forwardly from the sprockets 22 beneath the pan 8 over idler rollers 25 and under drive sprockets 26 keyed on a transversely extending shaft 21 for driving the latter shaft. From thence the chains 20 extend forwardly around idler rollers 28 on a transverse shaft 29 journaled adjacent the front end of section Il and below the apron I8. From thence the chains pass rearwardly along a pair of guide rails I9 spaced above the upper surface of pan 8.

The novel features of the present invention will now be more clearly understood. It will be observed thatthe plane of apron I3 (see Figs. 1` and 3) is arranged at a slightly greater angle with respect to the ground than the rearward conveyor section I6, while the said conveyor chains 2D change their angle slightly at a point rearwardly of said apron so as to move in a plane substantially parallel with said apron but below the latter. It will be observed further that the pan 8 comprises a. lower portion 8a, a. central portion 8b, and an upper portion 8c at slightly dinering angles of elevation, the arrangement being such that the lower portion of the conveyor moves along the guide rails I9 in a parallel spaced relation above the lower portion 8a. of pan 8. Rearwardly of the apron, however,rthe height of the guide rails gradually diminishes with respect to the intermediate portion 8b of pan 8, and nnally the conveyor chains 20 ride directly along the upper portion 8c of said pan to the upper end of the conveyor section I1.

As will be seen in Figure 3, the pan 8 has an extension 8d which passes upwardly and around the lower conveyor shaft 29, but below the path of Vconveyor nights 2l.

'Ihe apron I8 extends forwardly across the front end of the lower conveyor section I1 and is cut away centrally thereof so as to extend along opposite sides of said conveyor section. The apron has a. lip 3D terminating at the forward end of the conveyor and preferably arranged at a Wide intermediate angle between the plane of the apron and the plane of the conveyor so that material moved upwardly along the front end of the apron will be passed directly along the lip 30 in a substantially horizontal plane from said apron to the front end of said conveyor.

The gathering mechanism on the apron herein comprises a pair of endless chains 35 having gathering arms 31 on chain guiding members 36 so as to move said chains in orbital paths along opposite sides ofthe conveyor section I1, in a manner similar to that disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 580,755, previously referred to.

In the form shown, the chain guiding members 36 are arranged at slightly diverging angles with respect to the central conveyor section I1, and the side Walls 33 at'opposite sides of the conveyor chain guide rails I9 are nared outwardly as clearly shown in Figure 4. With this arrangement, the material brought rearwardly by the gathering arms 31 is directed into said conveyor and will be cleared from said arms, especially when, as is preferable with machines of this character, the conveyor is operated at a greater speed than that of the gathering chains 35.

The gathering mechanism need not be described in greater detail, excepting to point out that in the form shown herein, the chains 35 are each driven from a drive sprocket 55 keyed on an upright shaft 56 passing downwardly through apron I8 and journaled in a bearing 51 carried thereby. A bevel gear 6I) is keyed to the lower end of shaft 56 and is driven from a bevel pinion 6| keyed on the end of the transverse shaft 21 which has been previously described as being driven by the conveyor chains 28 as the latter are actuated for operating the main night conveyor.

The advantages of the construction above described will perhaps be better understood when it is explained that a loader head of the character herein described is adapted not only to gather up loose material from the mine floor by action ofthe gathering arms 31, but a large portion of the material is gathered by forcing the entire apron into a pile of loose material so that the latter drops directly upon the top of the apron I8, and upon the main conveyor section I1. In such operation the gathering arms 31 assist in forcing the loader head into the pile of material, but the amount of material loaded out by the conveyor is far in excess of the amount handled by said gathering arms.

It will now be understood that with the arrangement of parts herein disclosed, the pan 8 is disposed below the path of movement of the conveyor so as to increase the size of the space for receiving material deposited directly thereon. Furthermore, the larger lumps of material drop partly through the flights 2| so to be engaged thereby at a higher level, thus tending to move the mass of material more positively than if the larger lumps were engaged only near the bottoms thereof. In other words, the arrangement disclosed gives the same effect as a conveyor having much higher nights, at the point where the material is initially engaged by the conveyor, but due to the relatively low height of the nights, the conveyor can be extended forwardly beneath the apron, much further than it could if it carried higher nights thereon. By reason of these advantageous features, the capacity of the loading head is greatly increased.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction or arrangement of parts herein shown and described, nor to the embodiment herein illustrated, excepting as specifically limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined endless conveyor, an inclined apron extending forwardly of said inclined conveyor, gathering means supported on said apron along opposite sides of said inclined conveyor, said gathering means moving in a plane substantially above said conveyor, and said apron having a lip extending from the upper surface thereof to a point substantially adjacent the upper surface of said conveyor adjacent the front end thereof, and at a wide angle to both surfaces so said lip is in a substantially horizontal plane at the discharge point onto said conveyor and said gathering devices are at a substantial distance above the discharge end of said lip.

2. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined endless night conveyor including a plurality of longitudinally spaced nights, an inclined apron extending forwardly ofV said inclined conveyor, gathering means supported on said apron along opposite sides and forwardly of said inclined conveyor including a pair of orbitally guided endless chains having gathering arms thereon extending over and spaced above said conveyor a substantial distance, and a material supporting pan extending between the upper and lower runs of said conveyor and spaced vertically from said nights adjacent said gathering arms to increase the effective height of said nights at the turning point of said gathering arms away from said conveyor.

3. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined material supporting pan and an endless night conveyor including a plurality of longitudinally spaced nights, gathering means supported on opposite sides of said night conveyor, guiding means 75 adjacent the lower end portion of said conveyor for supporting said conveyor flights in spaced relation above said pan and permitting said flights to ride along said pan rearwardly of said gathering means to increase the effective height of said flights adjacent said gathering means and maintain the height of said conveyor to a minimum beyond said gathering means.

4. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element having an inclined endless flight conveyor element having a portion arranged at a greater angle of elevation than another portion thereof, said conveyor element including a material-supporting pan disposed in a plane spaced between the upper and lower runs of said flight conveyor and spaced vertically from the flights of said conveyor so as to increase the effective height of said flights through the portion of greater angle of elevation of said conveyor.

5. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined endless conveyor, an inclined apron extending forwardly of said inclined conveyor, gathering means supported on said apron at opposite sides of said inclined conveyor and extending therealong from a point disposed forwardly of the forward end thereof, said gathering means moving in a plane spaced substantially above said cenveyor, and said apron having a lip extending from a point disposed forwardly of said conveyor in a substantially horizontal plane, when the forward end of said apron is in engagement with the ground, to the upper surface of the forward end of said conveyor for the discharge of material thereon at a substantial distance beneath said gathering means adjacent the forward end thereof and with no appreciable drop.

6. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined endless conveyer, an inclined apron extending forwardly of said inclined conveyer, gathering means supported on said apron at opposite sides of said inclined conveyer and extending therealong from a point disposed forwardly of the forward end. thereof, said gatherin g means moving in a plane spaced substantially above said conveyer, and including a pair of orbitally moving endless chains having gathering arms thereon extending over said conveyer and turning away therefrom at a point disposed rearwardly of the forward end thereof, and said conveyer comprising a flight conveyer including a pair of longitudinally spaced flights and a material supporting pan extending between the upper and lower runs of said conveyer and spaced vertically from said flights so as to increase the effective height of said flights and the distance from said conveyer to said gathering arms at the turning point of said gthering arms away from said conveyer.

7. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined endless conveyer, an inclined apron extending forwardly of said inclined conveyer, gathering means supported on said apron at opposite sides of said inclined conveyer and extending therealong from a point disposed forwardly of the forward end thereof, said gathering means moving in a plane spaced substantially above said conveyer, and including a pair of orbitally moving endless chains having gathering arms thereon extending over said conveyer and turning away therefrom at a point disposed rearwardly of the forward end thereof, and said conveyer comprising a flight conveyer including a pair of longitudinally spaced flights and a material supporting pan extending between the upper and lower runs of said conveyer, said apron having a lip extending from a point disposed forwardly of said conveyer in a substantially horizontal plane, when the forward end of said apron is in engagement with the ground, to the upper surface of the forward end of said conveyer, and the forward end of said material supporting pan being substantially a continuation of said apron to permit the discharge of material onto said conveyer at a substantial distance beneath said gathering means adjacent the forward end thereof in a continuous path with no appreciable drop.

8. In combination in a loading machine, a gathering and loading element comprising an inclined endless conveyer, an inclined apron extending forwardly of said inclined conveyer, gathering means supported on said apron at opposite sides of said inclined conveyer and extending therealong from a point disposed forwardly of the forward end thereof, said gathering means moving in a plane spaced substantially above said conveyer and including a pair of orbitally moving endless chains having gathering arms thereon extending over said conveyer and turning away therefrom at a point disposed rearwardly of the forward end thereof, said conveyer comprising a flight conveyer including a pair of longitudinally spaced flights and a material supporting pan extending between the upper and lower runs of said conveyer, said apron having a lip extending from a point disposed forwardly of said conveyer in a substantially horizontal plane, when the forward end of said apron is in engagement with the ground, to the upper surface of the forward end of said conveyer, the forward end of said material supporting pan being substantially a continuation of said apron to permit the discharge of material onto said conveyer at a substantial distance beneath said gathering means adjacent the forward end thereof in a continuous path with no appreciable drop, and said pan being inclined beyond the forward end thereof in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of travel of said conveyer at a substantial distance beneath said flights to increase the effective height of said flights and the distance from said conveyer to said gathering arms at the turning of said arms away from said conveyer without increasing the height of the machine.

FRANK CARTLIDGE. 

